


Cinderella through the looking glass

by ShittyKittyPoopetry



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - This World Inverted (Shadowhunters TV), Angst, Crushes, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Magic, Malec, Malecweek2017
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-03
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-11-22 22:26:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11389680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShittyKittyPoopetry/pseuds/ShittyKittyPoopetry
Summary: Magnus is anything but a magical, sparkly being.For crazy reasons revolving around Clary and her friends, where the Clary from another dimension had come to theirs, he knew now that his alternate self was indeed still a magician. And then there was Alexander Lightwood. The young man whose party Magnus had found himself attending uninvited during the events regarding the other universe. The young man who for whatever reason seeked out his attention ever since. Not knowing what to do with all this attention Magnus felt quite lost. The other Magnus would probably know how to handle him. But this Magnus- it was just plain normal Magnus. And even if he felt himself drawn to Alec, wouldn´t that be cruel towards him. When he had no clue who Magnus really was.Written for the Malecweek2017 which is being hosted by the amazing umkasandiary @tumblr.Prompt: AU Season 1 episode 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello (´u´)/  
> so sadly i missed out on the first malecweek2017 til now but umkasandiary @ tumblr is hosting another one and all i could think i was like hella i need to take part!  
> and i really liked the topics so yeah! if you can you should definitly check out the tumblr- it´s amazing art umka is creating!  
> and i apologize to my amazing beta jul ( oak07 @ tumblr - she has an amazing harry potter blog and also a lot of clever thoughts to offer :)!) for throwing her into this week without even telling her beforehand. I am lucky she hasn´t killed me yet with all the stuff to read i am throwing her way to check. Thank you jul!  
> This is probably gonna have around five parts which i´ll try to update this week as well as the other promts :3
> 
> This takes place right when and after Clary meets Magnus in the other dimension.  
> I hope this is enjoyable!

"You don´t have a cat." Clary, the young redhead said all of a sudden.

Magnus frowned, but kept his smile on. This was business after all and if there was one thing he was sure of was that his cards never lied.

"I have two. Chairman Meow ..." he lifted the lil rascal up and gently patted him. "... and Church.", he looked over to Church, who he had seriously considered the most grumpy being he had ever met. Second maybe only to Raphael.

The young girl looked like she had just realized something very important. Something about her attitude seemed to change in the blink of an eye.

And then she started talking about this other universe where magic still existed and at first Magnus didn´t want to believe her.

When she was done talking and Magnus realized she had been telling the truth and he declared that he would help her, some part of him couldn´t help but feel uneasy. She had mentioned this other Magnus, who sounded magical capable and flashy. Who sounded like everything he was not. He looked down at his spell book, which had started to settle dust in all these years he hadn´t done as much as look at it. A book whose magical spells he hadn´t learned. Not all of them. As he became so used to a life in hiding. A life without magic. What had this other version of him done different? Why was he still allowed a life with magic when he was not. How was this other Magnus stil able to stand pround? After all that happened, he just wasn´t able anymore. Not able to stand pround. Not able to do magic.

It wasn´t even a century ago that the Downworlders were defeated by the Shadowhunters. Every now and then Magnus would see a Shadowhunters family name flash up. But those were the generation that were raised, unknowing what their ancestors had done. They were raised like regular mundanes.

When the huge killing of Downworlders had started, Magnus had barely managed to survive. He had been cought and tortured. And by the time he had finally managed to get away from all the torture they put him through before planning to kill him - he had already been to late to save most Downworlder-Friends of his. And he started hating and grieving, only living on because he knew they would have wanted him to.

Magnus only then noticed that is breathing had become faster and he willed himself to calm down. "Maybe helping Clary will give me some of my sense back. I´ve been going to a way too dark place with my mind lately." he chuckled to himself after the girl was gone.

He tried swinging around in a flashy way. If this other Magnus was more flashy, maybe he should try to dress up more often? Put more of a swing into his hips? He felt stupid when he tried it out and Church threw a sceptical "Mrreoww" at him. "Oh shush you. I know what i am doing." Almost like Church wanted to prove him wrong no matter what, he started throwing up a fur ball on his couch. 

 

Magnus had texted and called this Clary girl more than five times now and he started to get impatient.

And worried.

What if this world had already sucked her in? He couldn´t begin to imagine how tempting this world, where she didn´t have to fight at every second corner must seem to her. He hadn´t had time to ask her, but she didn´t look like the usual "born-and-raised Shadowhunter" he had known for way too long. And she surely didn´t behave like it. The fact that she was friends with or at least spoke friendly about his other version said enough. Her forgetting her mission would also explain why she had apparantly forgotten to put him on the guest list, if the judging eyebrow the man at the entrance gave him was anything to go by.

"Check it again. I told you- I´m on the list." "You´re not here." The other replied in such an arrogant manner that made Magnus want to roll his eyes.

"What seems to be the problem?" asked another voice and when Magnus looked at the taller man that had walked over to them, he found the mans chocolate eyes scanning up and down his body, unashamed in a smooth manner.

And when their eyes met at least, Magnus had to blink rapidly. It had been a too long since someone had looked at him like that. Too long since he had put himself out there. Was he really being checked out? By such a handsome man? This couldn´t be happening right? The man smiled smugly at him and in this moment Magnus knew that he was a dangerous one for him, if he even found his smug and self-pleased grin to be charming. This man was one of those people who knew what they wanted the moment they saw it.

"This one wants to crash the party." said the doorman.

"I´ll be responsible for this one. Come on in."  If he weren´t so confused himself by this weird happenings, Magnus would feel more relieved when passing the arrogant doorman and following the taller man inside.

The man walked in with such a confidence that Magnus expected him to just leave now that he had let him in. Why would someone, who seemed to know damn well how pretty he was, be interested in plain, old him?

But then the man stopped him in his track to keep going by offering him a teacup full of a glittery and colourful cocktail. "To us." he said and looked genuine, his eyes not leaving Magnus face, but Magnus didn´t look back as he was too busy searching for Clary, while sipping on his drink. And when he spotted her dancing with a boy, he knew that couldn´t be good.

"And you are...?" Magnus heard the voice of the man next to him ask and he snapped back from his observation. "Magnus Bane." he aswered. "Alec Lightwood." the other man replied.

Alec looked him up and down again, but Magnus knew that he had to leave. Help Clary. "Thanks but ... i gotta go." He pointed behind him in an awkward manner and left Alec with one last look.

He was too busy set on his mission to help Clary to hear Alec say: "Playing hard to get. I love a challenge." 

 

Getting Clary to snap out of it deemed to be harder than he had thought and actually getting her back through the protal even more so but after defeating the monster he managed to make them leave.

After he closed the portal he turned around to face the monsters corpse. He used some magic, some of the last bits he had left since he was so out of practise, to make it disappear somewhere deep in the jungle. Where hopefully no one would ever find it.

Then he manipulated the memories of the currently unconscious versions of Clary and the other blond boy of this dimension, making Clary only remember the first part of when she had come to consult him. And then inviting Magnus to be able to consult him some more during the party, seeing as he had foreseen that this evening might change her love life. That had been why she and Magnus had gone to the basement and why her boyfriend, who had misunderstood the situation, had confronted them, only to be corrected.

He ended the memories with them laughing and talking and deciding to get more drinks. Magnus couldn't believe that he risked his health by using so much magic in such a short time after so many years without it. Magnus then shook both Clary and the blond boy awake. "Hei you guys ok? I think you had a little bit too much to drink ..."

"Magnus?" Clary, the Clary of this universe, rubbed her eyes.

Luckily enough the kind of strain from being possessed by their other selfes made them believe Magnus words, of them having had too many drinks, and they left.

Magnus left with them, basicially running through the party room, not keen on running into Alec again. He didn´t stop until he reached his home.

Then he gripped his shirt tightly as he threw himself on his couch. Someone like Clary who was able to go back into this world full of other magical beings surely was lucky.

Magnus felt alone, being the only warlock left. Left alone with immortal loneliness. This night he cried himself to sleep. 


	2. Chapter 2

Alec had an emergency meeting the morning after the party with Jace, Clary, Izzy and Simon at Java Jace. As Jace gave out their coffe, Alec thanked the glory that was Chai tea latte. He wasn´t a morning person at all but he knew that if he wanted to get this done today he had to start early.

"So what is this emergency meeting all about Alec? It can´t be because of the party right? The party was outstanding! Thought you would relax a little before jumping back into another project." Jace spoke up. The rush time at his coffee shop was over over so he was able to sit with them.

"Of course it was amazing!" Alec grinned, his reply confident. "This actually isn´t about the party or my next project." he started, twirling his hand around. "It´s none the less about something very important. I think i met Cinderella yesterday..."

After he said that he had everyones attention and if some of them looked concerned if he had lost his sanity or was just being a drama-queen, he ignored them.

"Whaatt do you mean...?" Clary asked slowly while Izzy squeaked: "Are you sure you´re sober bro?" Alec leaned forward, his ellbow resting on the desk, clearly plesed with himself over the fact that he had found the word that had gotten him everybodys attention.

"Is this a pun? Since your party was Alice themed and Cinderella is also a fairytale?" Simon wondered out loud.

"I met someone yesterday ..." Alec said but was interrupted by groaning that started around the table.

"Oh god Alec please no. I love you bro but i really don´t wanna hear about another one of your one-night stands..." Jace grumbled.

"We didn´t sleep together! And as a fact - i think i am more interested in him than just for a fuck-and-run. Something about him just really got my interest. And it couldn´t have been this boring, plain clothes of his. But even in those he looked stunning. I can´t imagine how fascinating he would look with a little make-up and other, more colourful clothes. Gosh i am done ain´t i. And his eyes. They shine with so much wonder, like he has seen so many things i can´t imagine. I want to get to know him better, charm him off his feed, make him fall with me. And when he does i´ll be sure to catch him." Stunned silence followed Alecs words.

"You must really have fallen head over heels- i got that much. And i am happy for you bro, i really am. It´s been a while since you allowed yourself romantic feelings. But why "Cinderella"?"

Alec was more than happy to explain this nickname he had come up with for this beautiful person. "You know how Cinderella is poor and gets a pretty dress witched from a good fairy? Magnus was wearing rather normal looking clothing, yes, but there was something about him that seemed to scream magic under all those layers of normal. Almost like he was hiding it. Like a reverse version of Cinderella - he hides his sparkling self under a layer of normal while Cinderella hides herself under a layer of beautiful. And you know - i don´t wanna sound too full of myself like Jace always does-..." "Hei!", came from Jace at that, but Alec ignored it. "...- but i think he was also fascinated by me. Or at least i hope so. I really tried. And then he ran off, sadly leaving nothing behind but his name. And this is where i must consult you guys! Is it weird to just show up where he lives? I mean he had an unique enough name, so it was easy to find him. But like what am i supposed to say. -Hei i am that guy you left behind at that one party. And i couldn´t forget about you Magnus, so here i am.- That would be totally creepy right! Gosh!"

Clary frowned. "What is his full name Alec?" she asked. "Magnus Bane." Then her whole face lit up with a grin. "I know where you can find your Cinderella. Actually i even know how you can meet him without being creepy." Alec let out an exited shriek and hugged her. "Really now! Gosh! When can we go? I have to change my outfit! Dress to impress!"

 

 

When Magnus got a call from Clary the next day he was surprised and a little worried, but then he quickly reminded himself that the Clary of this universe was no Shadowhunter and had no idea about magic.

He agreed to see her on this very afternnon and allowed her to bring a friend of hers, who had a love emergency he needed consulting in. Magnus however was even more surprised when he opened his door at the appointed time to see the man from yesterday night standing there. The man put a charming smile on as he reached out with his hand and even though he tried to look surprised, Magnus could tell that the other wasn´t surprised at all to see Magnus be the one who opened the door.

"Hei! Magnus Bane right? Alec Lightwood- we met the other night! Clary couldn´t make it and is sending her sorrys for that."

Magnus took the hand to shake it and Alec locked eyes with him. What was it with this boy (Compared to Magnus real age he was nothing but a boy) and his intense looks? Magnus felt all kinds of undressed under them, both in body and mind. People who had that effect on him scared him the most.

"Hello. Ehm yes. And yes. We did meet. And tell Clary it´s fine. Ehm- would you like to ... come in?" One would think that after hundrets of years Magnus would be able to speak more eloquently. But apparently words just left him when it came to this boy.

"That would be just lovely, thank you Magnus!" And before Magnus had time to step away from the door, Alec sqeezed in, making Magnus have to turn sideways in order for both of them to fit through. Alecs arm brushed his chest and when Alec muttered: "Just lovely." this time with a smug grin on his face, Magnus was sure that he wasn´t talking about being invited inside.

"Oh what a lovely apartment you have! Are those original antiques?" Alec all but squeaked excited when he was inside.

"Ehm yes. I am collecter. Kind of." Magnus replied, closing the door behind him. Then Alec spotted Church on the couch and went over to him. "Awww. And who is this cutie?"

"My cat, Church. The other, Chairman Meow should be somewhere around here."

"Aww so nice to meet you Church." Alec reached out to pat Church. "Wait! Church doesn´t let himself be cuddled by anyone!" But it was too late - Alecs hand was already stroking through his fur and to Magnus´ big surprise Church started purring. "Now that´s weird. Church doesn´t like anyone. Hasn´t liked anyone for a long time ..." Magnus muttered but then stopped his thoughts before they went to a sad place again.

"Well, looks like he has a great judge of character ..." Magnus had to smile at those words. "You might be right. The last person he liked was one of the greatest people i had the pleasure of knowing." 

 

They got their session started by sitting opposite of each other and Magnus explaining how he would foresee Alecs future by reading his cards. He turned one card after another.

"There is someone you are searching for. You met them a short while ago but think that you are deeply connected. You think they got something you are searching for. They ran away from you and you feel like you are stuck in a fairytale thanks to that ..." Magnus eyes widened as he turned the last card.

"What does it say?" Alec asked, the happy tone in his voice clearly not hard to recognize. It was against Magnus rules to lie to a customer even if it may not be what they want to hear. "They might either destroy or make each other whole again, depending on the choices both of them make." Magnus mumbled and looked up, expecting Alec to be shocked. If this was about the person Magnus thought it was, then he wasn´t all that surprised about that last card. He had a lot of heavy baggage to carry after all those years after all.

But Alec looked happy. "That´s a risk i´m willing to take. So what do you say Magnus.What should my first choice be regarding you?"

Magnus gulped and couldn´t help but blush. "You could start by giving me your number." he said with more confidence than he really had. It was not just Alec who was willing to take a risk. Magnus believed in his cards more than anything else. And since they were lowkey telling him to also take a risk he decided Alec was worth the try. And the wide dorky smile Alec made was so worth it. 

 

 

"You could start by giving me your number." Alec couldn´t help the grin that took over his features when Magnus pretty mouth said those words. He did it! He had found his beautiful Cinderella and he had given him his shoe back!

"That would be amazing Magnus! Just as amazing as you. Has anyone told you that you are amazing? Cause you totally are!" Magnus blushed at his words and Alec yet again took theat as another victory.

"Ehm. Thank you? You are pretty ... amazing! You are pretty amazing yourself Alec!" Magnus had sounded like he had actually meant to stop talking after the "pretty" and that gave Alec enough confidence to reach out and take Magnus´ hand, which was still laying on the cards on the desk between them, in his own, carefully brushing their fingers togehter. He somehow felt that he had to be careful with Magnus or else he would scare him away.

"I really would like to get to know you better Magnus. Do you think that is possible?" Alec asked in his softest and most charming voice. Magnus blinked rapidly again, a movement Alec had found out to be seen on him when he was confused and couldn´t quite believe what was happening. And Alec found it to be the most adorable thing ever.

"S-Sure." Magnus stuttered back. "How does Friday sound? We could go out - i know this great italian place ..." Magnus smiled and nodded. And Alec couldn´t quite believe his luck. He had a date to plan!  

 


End file.
